


True and Deserved

by angeltrumpets



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: After Ending Spoilers (Mystic Messenger), Alternate V After Ending, F/M, Fix-It, Mentioned Rika (Mystic Messenger), Rika went to jail and wasn't forgiven but also isn't doomed, V After Ending, a shorter After Ending that actually focuses of Jihyun/MC, essentially V After Ending rewritten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-03 21:21:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17885420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angeltrumpets/pseuds/angeltrumpets
Summary: After Jihyun returns from his two years away, he and MC's relationship develops, and Jihyun experiences what it is like to be in a truly healthy and loving romantic relationship.





	True and Deserved

Once Jihyun returned knowing more of himself, he could now properly get to know MC. To really know her.

Not that he had any doubts as to how genuine and special the relationship between himself and MC was. It was just that what they had gone through together had made the progression of learning about each other different to that of normal couples, so he didn’t quite know what to expect when he returned two years later. He had no idea how their relationship would be in a normal, day-to-day life.

He found he didn’t have to worry. The more time he spent with MC, the more the relationship showed itself as being the one he both wanted and needed, providing him with more happiness than he ever imagined he could possibly have, more than he ever thought he deserved.

MC had been genuine during their first eleven days that started it all, and she remained so as their relationship developed. Back then, Jihyun had seen her kindness, her empathy, and her drive to help people, and he continued to see those traits within MC every single day.  

He also came to know the other aspects of MC he hadn’t gotten the chance to see before. He would see her quirky sense of humour, one that could even match Saeyoung’s, which he would often find making him laugh. He would discover that she was a dog person rather than a cat person, although she would never say so in front of Jumin. He would learn about her family and her childhood experiences, her life before they had met, her likes and her dislikes. He would become familiar with her strengths, her weaknesses, and her flaws.

While the core of MC he had initially fallen for was the same, the new things he would learn about her, big or small, only made him fall in love with her even more.

Being with MC also made Jihyun realise how much had been missing in his past relationships. He hadn’t been aware of what a healthy romantic relationship truly meant until he was with MC.

He almost didn’t know what to do when _he_ was being treated as someone precious, rather than the other way around. MC treated him with care that he didn’t recall ever having received before. He felt safe and loved with her.

MC listened to him and never judged him. She made him feel like he was able to be say what he wanted to say or be emotionally vulnerable and not be criticised for it. Jihyun never felt tested when he was with MC, never needed to second guess reasons for her actions or doubt her words.

She also made him feel treasured physically. MC cared over whether Jihyun was eating enough or was getting proper rest whenever he got so passionate over working on a new painting that he would forget to do so. When the two of them were at home, sitting or lying together, she would often hold him and make him feel so comfortable that sometimes he would fall asleep in her arms. When they had been at their most physically intimate for the first time, she focused all her attention on him, appreciating everything about him, including giving special attention to the scar on his torso from two years ago by kissing it tenderly.

Jihyun had grown to love himself in the past two years, but it still touched him deeply to experience such love from someone else.

While Jihyun and MC had their strong relationship that brought out the best of each other, they could stand as their own people. They didn’t rely on proving themselves or their worth to each other.

Jihyun, after his absence finding himself, was finally allowing himself to paint without feeling like he should hold back. He painted for himself. He did hope his art could be beautiful enough to be appreciated by others as well of course, but it was not his primary motivation. His main drive was for that of his own satisfaction, to do what he was born to do and express the ideas he had in his artistic mind.

MC still took her role within what was now known as the VFA seriously, and was becoming better and better at it with every party that was held. She grew into her skills of negotiating with party guests, and her organisation only kept increasing in efficiency and effectiveness, resulting in even more successful parties than there had been before.

It had been Yoosung’s idea to change the name of the RFA, and after some hesitation, Jihyun had agreed with him. Rika was no longer a part of the association, and was now very far away in both distance and participation. The association had changed since then, so much so that it felt like something different now. He also knew the name change was something MC appreciated, but never would have asked for. If Rika’s name was to be removed from the Association’s title, it would have to be from the people who were most involved with Rika and had been part of the association the longest.

Rika…

Both Jihyun and MC knew that her impact upon him could never be gone completely.

When Jihyun had returned, he and MC had sat in his home and had a conversation about her. He had wanted to have it as soon as possible, considering how much of an elephant in the room she was, and he didn’t want to run away anymore.

“What happened to Rika while I was gone?” he had asked.

MC saw the seriousness in his eyes, and didn’t even try to soften anything in her response. Jihyun wanted the clear answer, and so she would give it. “She was sentenced to imprisonment,” she spoke solemnly. “She’s going to be placed into rehabilitation programs and extensive therapy to help her as much as possible throughout, and afterwards she won’t be permitted contact with any association members, Saeran, or any of those who were in Mint Eye.”

“I see…”

It was as much as Jihyun could’ve hoped for. For the sake of all the suffering she caused, the lives that had been so damaged from her, and the scale of her severe actions, such a decision was necessary for justice for all her victims. Perhaps afterwards, Rika could finally be on the road to her own healing.

In all honesty, he hoped she would be. Despite all she had done, Jihyun couldn’t bring himself to wish any further despair on her than she already had. If she could live the rest of her life after her sentence doing good things, then that would be the best outcome for everyone. He didn’t need to forgive what she had done in order to hope she would one day have a happier, more fulfilling future.

“MC, I…” he said. “I know… that it brings up a lot of negative feelings for you when Rika is mentioned, and after what you- no, _we_ \- went through with her, that’s completely understandable.” He sighed and looked downwards as he spoke. “But nevertheless, she was a part of my life for so long. A part of who I am today has been shaped by that time with her. As much as I heal and as far away as she goes, I cannot fully remove that from my past and myself. It’s not something we can entirely move on and forget about.”

MC leaned forward, gently placing a hand on the side of Jihyun’s face and bringing his head up to look at her. “I know,” she said. “I could never ask you to do anything of the sort. That was a huge part of your life that affected you, and I would never expect you to erase that. I am here for you and all parts of you.”

Jihyun reached up to place his hand against MC’s. He would never cease to feel blessed by MC’s warmth and understanding. “Thank you,” he said so quietly it was almost a whisper. He intertwined his fingers with MC’s as he slowly leaned in to kiss her.

Jihyun had his regrets and many mistakes from the past, but would he actually go back and change them if he had the chance? Considering where he was now, happier than he had ever been and with MC, if changing his past meant changing anything in the present, then he probably wouldn’t.

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to all V fans and everyone who was dissatisfied with the After Ending.   
> This was the kind of thing I was hoping for, just a short and simple After Ending about V and MC's relationship. So I wrote it myself. 
> 
> And yes, Saeran is alive here too.


End file.
